Releasable locking connector



Oct. 21, 1969 H. PIORRUNECK RELEASABLE LOCKING CONNECTOR Filed Sept. 20.1967 lNvEN'roR HEINz PIORRUNEK ATTO R N EYS 4United States Patent O3,474,398 RELEASABLE LOCKING CONNECTOR Heinz Piorruneck, Glenbrook,Conn., assignor to Burndy Corporation, a corporation of New York FiledSept. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 669,157 Int. Cl. H01r 9/08 U.S. Cl. 339-217 2Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A releasable locking connector of twoparts including a body portion and an outer sleeve adapted to slide onthe body portion. The outer sleeve has spring detents thereon adapted tolatch with a member on the panel to which the connector is to beattached.

'Ihis invention relates to a self-locking connector of the type havingat least one electrical connector element supported on and locked into acircuit connecting panel, and more particularly, to a connector of thistype in which the connector element includes locking means which isresilient and which prevents separation of the connector element fromthe circuit connecting panel until the locking means is deflected intoan unlocked position through the use of an external device.

There are numerous types of releasable locking connectors for use in acircuit connecting panel, and one of the primary design considerationsis to provide a locking member on the connectors which will not releaseitself due to accidental external forces upon the panel or connectorduring use of the circuit panel. The use of spring detents is a commonmeans of providing a locking member which will latch upon insertion ofthe connector into the panel, and yet will have suicient resilience towithstand a certain amount of external force. However, in manyinstances, a suflicient force on the connector will cause undesiredreleasing, primarily because the resilient spring detents are held inplace by only a single means in the panel opening,

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a connectorwhich will automatically lock when the connector is completely insertedinto its seated position and which cannot be inadvertently releasedwithout the use of a specific external device.

Another object is to provide a connector wherein a resilient lockingmember on the connector body will not be accidentally released after theconnector is properly seated in the circuit connecting panel.

Another object is to provide a connector having a locking member thereonwhich cannot be released without a specific initial movement of theconnector.

Another object is to provide such a connector which can be manufacturedeither as a pin connector, or as a socket connector,

These and other objects and features of the invention will be morereadily apparant when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingspecification and in light of the following drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a pin type connector constructed inaccordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional View through the pin type connectoras it is being inserted into a supporting panel;

FIGURE 3 is a similar View showing the connector further inserted intothe panel at a point where the spring detents are being depressed;

FIGURE 4 is a similar view showing the connector fully inserted andlocked in the supporting panel;

3,474,398 Patented Oct. 2l, 1969 FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of amodified form of pin type connector;

FIGURES 6-8 are views similar to FIGURES 244 showing the conector ofFIGURE 5 in various positions in the supporting panel.

The connector of the present invention may be of the pin or socket type,although for purposes of illustration a pin connector will be described.There is shown in FIGURE 1 a two-part pin connector 10 including a bodyportion 12 and an outer sleeve 14 slidable on the body portion 12.

The body portion 12 includes a pin member 16, a detent locking section18 located between a iirst shoulder 20 and a second shoulder 22, and awire receiving ferrule 24 for receiving a bared wire or cable. Thedetent operating section 18 comprises a reduced portion 26 from whichextend tapered or frusto-conical portions 28, 30 toward shoulders 20,22, respectively. Tapered or frusto-conical portions 28, 30 terminate incylindrical surfaces 32, 34 respectively, which constitute bearingsurfaces for the outer sleeve 14.

The outer sleeve 14 has preferably a pair of openings 36 and a pair ofspring detents 38 adapted to engage the panel 40 at a selected point;for example, at the tapered shoulder 42 formed in the opening 44 of thepanel 40. Although two spring detents 38 are shown, any greater numbermay be used. The spring detents 38 are integral with and extend inwardlyfrom the outer end of outer sleeve 14, with the remote end of the springdetents 38 being unattached to order to permit exure of the springdetents for locking and releasing operation. The spring detents 38include a cam surface 46 and an abutment surface 48 which are adapted toengage the tapered sides of shoulder 42.

As shown in FIGURES 1-4, the length of outer sleeve 14 is less than thedistance between shoulders 20 and 22 but yet is of sufcient length sothat the ends of the outer sleeve 14 are at all times on a portion ofthe cylindrical bearing surfaces 32, 34.

The connector is secured to the bared wire or cable by crimping theferrule 24 or by some other conventional method. As shown in FIGURES2-4,the connector is then inserted into the opening 44 of the paneluntil the shoulder 42 engages the cam surface 46 on each spring detent38 depressing each spring detent 38 through openings 36 into detentlocking section 18 of connector body portion 12 until the cam surface 46passes the shoulder 42. The spring detent 38 will then ex back intonormal position behind shoulder 42, with abutment surface 48 againstshoulder 42, thereby locking the connector to the panel.

The relationship of the outer sleeve 14 to the detent locking section 18is an important feature of this invention in preventing inadvertentremoval of the connector. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the outer sleeve14 is located against shoulder 20 during initial insertion and detentdepression. This positioning is insured, since the initial contact ofthe spring detents 38 and panel shoulder -42 will initially slide theouter sleeve 14 against shoulder 20. In the latched position of FIGURE4, the outer sleeve 14 will tend to be positioned at the front of theconnector against shoulder 22 especially during insertion of theconnector into its mating socket connector. Also, any force tending topull the connector from the panel in the direction of the arrow inFIGURE 4 will shift the outer sleeve I14 against shoulder 22. AS will beapparent, the connector cannot be removed in the opposite directionsince the shoulder 20 will abut against panel shoulder 42. Thepositioning of the outer sleeve 14 against shoulder 22 positively locksthe connector in position, since the leading edge of cam surface `46abuts against tapered or frusto-conical portion 30 3 in the detentlocking section 18. This abutting relationship will prevent anypossibility of detent depression as long as outer sleeve 14 is againstshoulder 22.

When it is desired to release the connector from the panel 40, theconnector is shifted in a direction opposite that of the arrow in FIGURE4 to permit movement of the outer sleeve 14 against shoulder 20, therebymoving tapered or frustO-conical position 30 away from the leading edgeof cam surface 46. Following this shifting movement, a suitableextraction tool (not shown) is inserted around pin member 16 toinitially move outer sleeve 14 against shoulder 20 and then to depressspring detents 38 into detent locking section 18, thereby removingabutment surface 48 from shoulder 42. At this point, the connector maythen be pulled out from the panel 40.

In FIGURES 8, a modified pin connector 50 is shown comprising a bodyportion 52 and an outer sleeve 54 slidable on the body portion 52.

The body portion 52 includes a pin member 56, a detent locking section58 located between a first shoulder 60 and a second shoulder 62, and awire receiving ferrule 64 for receiving a bared wire or cable. Thedetent locking section 58 includes an enlarged portion -66 comprisingtapered or frusto-conical portions `68, 70 to which are integrallyformed tapered or frusto-conical portions 72, 74 respectively. Taperedor frusto-conical portions 72, 74 terminate in cylindrical surfaces 76,78 respectively, which constitute bearing surffaces for the outer sleeve54.

The outer sleeve 54 has a plurality of openings 80 formed therein andspring detents 82 are located between openings 80 to engage the panel 40at the tapered shoulder 42. Although a greater number of spring detents82 are shown, a minimum of two may be used. The spring detents 82 areintegral with outer sleeve 54 and include a cam surface 84 and anabutment surface 86 which are adapted to engage the tapered sides ofpanel shoulder 42.

The connector is secured to the bared wire or cable by crimping theferrule `64 or by some other conventional method. As shown in FIGURES6-8, the connector is then inserted into the opening 44 of the panel 40until the shoulder 42 engages the cam surface 84 on each spring detent82, thereby depressing each spring detent 82 down into detent lockingsection 58 and onto enlarged portion 66 until the cam surface 84 passesthe shoulder 42. At this point, the spring detents 82 will spring backinto position with abutment surface 86 against shoulder 42, therebylocking the connector to the panel. The positioning of the outer sleeve54 on the body portion 52 is the same as in the connector of FIG- URES1-4 and, therefore need not be discussed again. In the latched positionof FIGURE 8, the innermost edge portion of abutment surface 86 will abutagainst the top of enlarged portion I66 to positively lock the connectorin position.

To release the connector from the panel, the connector is shifted in adirection opposite that of the arrow in FIGURE 8 to permit movement ofthe outer sleeve 54 against shoulder 60, thereby moving enlarged portion66 out of engagement with abutment surface 86. Following this shiftingmovement, a suitable extraction tool is inserted around pin S6 tocompletely move outer sleeve 54 against shoulder 60 and then to `depressspring detents 82 into detent locking section 53, thereby removingabutment surface 86 from shoulder 42. At this point, the connector maythen be pulled out from the panel,

The invention has thus been described, but it is desired to beunderstood that it is not confined to the particular forms or usagesshown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that theinvention may be carried out in other ways without departing from thespirit of the invention; therefore, it is desired to employ allequivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the invention,and by means of which objects of this invention are attained and newresults accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodimentsherein shown and described are only some of the many that can beemployed to obtain these objects and accomplish these results.

What is claimed is:

1. A connector for mounting in a housing having a connector-receivingbore which includes a constriction forming two axially opposed shoulderstherein, comprismg:

a body member adapted to be inserted into said bore;

a pair of spaced-apart stop means on said body member;

blocking means on said body member located between said pair of stopmeans;

an outer sleeve member slideably coupled to said body member betweensaid pair of stop means;

an opening in said sleeve member; and

detent means disposed in said opening in the form of a longitudinallyextending strip integrally formed to said sleeve member at the oppositeends of said strip;

said detent means having a cam surface adapted to engage one of opposedshoulders in a housing bore to drive said detent means radially inwardtoward said blocking means in a first slideable position of said outersleeve member relative to said body mem ber;

and said detent means further having an abutment surface to engage theother one of said opposed shoulders when said outer sleeve memberoccupies a second position relative to said body member in which saidblocking means resists inward motion of said detent means.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein said connector body member has areduced portion on each side of said blocking means, said blocking meansbeing an enlarged portion defined by a pair of frusto-conical surfacesintegrally formed with the larger diameter portions together, said camsurface and said abutment surface being located coincident with saidenlarged portion in a first slideable position of said outer sleevemember relative to said body member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,477,849 8/ 1949 Adams 339-2172,691,146 10/1954 Pollock 339-217 3,200,355 8/1965 Dahlen 339-217 X3,202,038 8/1965 Bass 24-211 X 3,245,030 4/1966 DAmico 339-217 3,355,70411/1967 Puskas 339-217 RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.24-211; 85-81

